My work is a contemporary interpretation of Kumiko, an ancient Japanese woodworking technique most commonly found in traditional Japanese homes and on shoji doors and screens. Imperial Gates features a traditional pattern known as "Kiri", or the Paulownia tree. The use of this pattern is said to have once been permitted only for objects related to the imperial household. 
The negative space envelops this work and brings harmony and balance to the patterns of the Kumiko.

David first picked up woodworking as a high schooler taking courses at the School for American Craftsmen in Rochester, NY. In the 1970’s he was an apprentice to Donald Warnock, a master luthier. At that time, Don had a shop in Princeton, Massachusetts and taught at Boston University. He began to study Kumiko much later and found it a satisfying way to blend traditional Japanese techniques with contemporary design. Before taking up Kumiko, he was an ER physician and director of the medical program at the Peace Corps, among other things.